Known as a fast finisher, Filipe Cardoso (Efapel) took a hugely surprising win in the big mountain stage on day four of the Volta a Portugal when he successfully a great solo ride.

"I'm not a pure sprinter and I'm also not a born climber," he said. "My strength is my sprint and I can defend myself on the climbs.That's what I did today. I ended up making a difference on the descents. To get to the finish alone I had to take some risks, but when you want to win you can not think about it. When you are afraid of taking risks, you have to stop your career.

"I was empty at the finish but as I could win the stage, all the effort was worth it. It was a victory that I dreamed about. I have won a sprint several times but this is special."

"Filipe deserved this victory because he has always worked for his team-mates," sports director Americo Silva said. "This finale was not appropriate to his characteristics. But I believed in him because I know he is a fighter and wanted to win. At the beginning of the climb, even with five minutes of advantage, he asked me what needed to be done, whether he had to wait for his teammates. I told him to give everything and try to win."